The Lampon family

Beaujolais, France

The Beaujolais region is located in the southern part of Burgundy, France, and produces red wine mainly from Gamay grapes. The soil is rich in granite and the area is a gentle hilly region, and the wine is characterized by light and fruity flavors. Beaujolais Nouveau is famous, and the wine of the year is released on the third Thursday of November every year.

The northern part of the region is known as the Beaujolais Cru, and is produced by 10 villages. This region produces excellent wines with a different character from Beaujolais Nouveau, a powerful wine that can be aged.

The Rampon family's domain and vineyards

The Rampon family's domain and vineyards are located in the small village of Reignier, a small village with a population of just under 1,200, in the Cru Beaujolais region, which is made up of 10 villages. The area is located at an altitude of 350m, with mild temperatures and beautiful valley views.

A small stream flows close to the house, birds sing, flowers bloom, and there are plane trees that are well over 100 years old.The fields are located at the end of a small forest.

Organic since 1983

Domaine André Rampon's vineyard is only 3 hectares in size. Mr. Rampon purchased the vineyard in 1977 and has been practicing organic farming since 1983. He was born into a five-generation farming family and has been involved in farming since 1970.

Mr. Lampon loves the village and vineyards where he lives so much that he has given up one of his dreams, a business trip to Japan, because he cannot leave them for more than three days. "I started organic farming in 1983 and feel that I have a very good relationship with the soil. I am really happy to be doing organic farming, which allows me to feel a connection with the earth," says Lampon, who cannot imagine any other way to ensure that his beloved earth will continue to remain beautiful in the future.

Because the soil is under pressure when machines are used, the fields are plowed using horses. Because the soil is not compacted by machines, air gets into the soil, keeping the fields soft and fluffy.

Although Mr. Rampon is primarily responsible for everything from soil preparation to grape cultivation and brewing, he and his wife run the Domaine together. During the harvest season, local helpers come and help out, and the harvest proceeds in a lively and friendly atmosphere with everyone concentrating.

• White grapes: None
• Black grapes: Gamay

Field soil

The soil is granite, a typical geology of the Beaujolais region.

Characteristics of cultivation methods etc.

• Horses are sometimes used for farm work, The grapes are trained using a method called "goblet," which does not use wire.
• The entire harvest is hand-picked

Characteristics of brewing method

• Maceration (soaking) for about a week
• The grape juice is extracted using traditional tools after soaking. Even the power used to apply pressure is almost entirely human power.

From the producers to everyone in Japan

I commute to my workplace, the vineyard, through truly beautiful scenery every day. I want all my customers to see this beautiful scenery and see where our vineyards and Domaine are located, so I try to make sure all of my customers come to the vineyard at least once.

All visitors are excited to actually see the vineyards and talk to the winemakers, almost more so than they are excited about the wine.